'Not an ounce of racism in Trump': Why some minority groups dispute bigotry accusations
Latino, Hindu Republicans admire nominee's business emphasis, discount racism
He's been called a kiss-up and a Mexican Uncle Tom, and he has felt anger from many within the Hispanic community, but Marco Gutierrez, a member of Latinos for Trump, forges ahead with full-fledged support for the Republican presidential nominee.
In many ways, he's no different from supporters here at the Republican National Convention who admire Trump's business credentials, who see him as a natural leader and who believe that he will, as the campaign slogan boasts: "Make America Great Again."
And he planned to be one of the delegates and guests flooding into the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday night to hear from the candidate.
But Gutierrez's background does make him stand out in this party, somewhat of a political pariah among some members of the Hispanic community, considering Trump's past comments concerning illegal immigrants.
Still, Gutierrez, who counts 20,000 Hispanics as part of his online organization, thinks there's a larger issue here. "The issue is not so much that we got offended. The real issue is there's not a healthy balance of Republican and Democrats in the Hispanic community."
The small number of minority voters in general who count themselves members of the Republican Party has been a growing concern.
A post-mortem following the loss of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to Barack Obama in 2012 recommended a better outreach to non-white voters and women. The autopsy of the party revealed that political victory depended upon Republicans' ability to court more of those voters.
Trump's controversial remarks
Yet the candidate the Republicans have chosen seems to have ignored that report and has made a series of controversial remarks that have offended those very groups.
Of the number of disparate groups who have come to this city to protest Trump's nomination, most agree on one message — that Trump is a bigot and a misogynist.
But those accusations seem to be largely ignored by the Republican minority voters here.
For example, American Muslim Sajid Tarar gave the closing prayer at the convention Tuesday night. He told the Washington Post that he considers himself "part of the angry Americans against the traditional politicians" and that Trump is "an outsider. He says whatever he feels like. He doesn't have some staffer writing his speeches. He says whatever he feels like."
Republican-Hindu Coalition
Shalli Kumar, chairman of the Republican-Hindu Coalition, believes many of the accusations against Trump are just propaganda from the left, believed mostly by uninformed youth. His own daughter, he said, has asked him how he can support a "racist" like Trump.
"There is not an ounce of racism in Trump," he said.
"There are a lot of people who have come out and told me before we got on the Trump bandwagon that 'Shalli, make sure you're for Trump.' That's from the Hindu-American community, a lot of businessmen, they told me that."
C.J. Jordan, deputy director of political and community affairs for the Republican National Convention, said people need to understand that what is said during the heat of political battle does not necessarily represent one's views.
A proud 'black female' Republican
"Here's what you have to look at. There was a primary. I don't think those things were indicative of who he is and where he's going," she said.
"I'm an entrepreneur, I'm a black female, I'm a Republican and I'm proud."
She said many will be surprised by the number of supporters Trump will get from the African-American community, particularly those who believe in entrepreneurship.
Trump, though he came from money, is a great role model as he still worked his way up and had to earn what he has achieved, she said.
"And that's what the American people are looking for: opportunity and hope and entrepreneurship and that's what Mr. Trump is."
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